Trolley-hanger



(No Model.)

T.PLETGHER. TROLLEY HANGER.

Patented Aug. 10,1897.

WIUJESSES ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT O FIQE.

THEODORE FLETCHER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURL TROLLEY-HANGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 587,805, dated August10, 1897.

Application filed October 10, 1896. Serial No. 608,434. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE FLETCHER, of St. Louis, in the State ofMissouri, have invented a new and Improved Trolley-Hanger, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a new and improved form of trolley-hanger; andit consists in certain improvements in the means for the suspension ofthe wire, whereby the bending and consequent breakage of the wire isprevented.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is an elevation of the device, the suspension block being shownin section.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same partly in section. Fig. 3 is anelevation, partly in section, of one of the shoes or ears which areattached to the trolley-wire. section of the same on the line 4: 4 ofFig. 3. Fig. 5 is a partly sectional elevation of a suspending bracket,showing a different manner of attaching the hanger-wire thereto. Fig. 6is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 7 is a similar view of abracket having a plain eye for carrying the hanger-wire.

In using ordinary hangers for trolley-wires the wire is apt to be bentat the ends of the hanger, which bend, although slight in itself, ifsufficiently repeated will eventually cause the copper of the wire tocrystallize and the wire will finally break, this being due to thesudden change from the flexible wire to the stiff hanger. The object ofmy invention is to provide a means for supporting the wire which will doaway with the constant bending of the wire at these points and also toprovide means which will permit a slight longi tudinal movement of thetrolley-wire.

The hanger constructed in accordance with my invention is suspended froman insulated block B, which has embedded within it the shank O of asupporting device which carries a pulley D, or may, if desired, simplyhave a rivet passed therethrough in the manner illustrated in Figs. 5and 6. The insulated block B has a groove or neck about its middle,which is considerably smaller in diameter than the remainder of theblock. This neck 0 is surrounded by two semicircular collars E, whichcollars in any suitable manner.

Fig. 4 is a crossof the ear and is then bent back upon itself areintended to take up the wear due to the contact of the suspending wiresand thus prevent the wear of the insulating-block. The suspending wiresare fastened about these One form of suspension is shown in Fig. 2, inwhich a short wire is passed on one side of oneof the collars and thesuspending wire upon the other side of the other collar, the ends of theshort wire being bent about the suspending VII'G.

Two ears F are attached to the trolley-wire A at a short distance eachside of the suspension-point and are soldered or otherwise secured tothe wire, and have upon their up- The eye F is placed near one end of Awire G is passed through the small end and entered in the large end F ofthe ear. This will prevent the end of the wire from being pulled throughthe small end of the ear and furnishes a quick and reliable means offastening the wire to the ear. The wire G is made of such a length thatwhen fastened to the two ears F there will be but little slack that is,the wire lies nearly parallel with the trolley-wire. This wire G ispassed over the pulley D or other device by which the hanger issuspended. This method of hanging a trolley-wire permits the wire tobend between the two ears, and, in fact, makes it flexible in alldirections.

The ears F are comparatively short, and in consequence of this therewill be no tendency of the wire to bend or buckle at the end of theears, and the trolley-wire is also permitted to have a littlelongitudinal motion, if necessary. This, however, is an unimportantmatter, and the suspending wire may, if desired, be made of two separatewires G, each extending from an ear F to the suspending device 0, asshown in Figs. 5 and 6. This will not permit any longitudinal movementof the trolley-wire, but willmake it perfectly flexible.

Instead of using a pulley D, as shown in Fig. 1, an eye similar to theeye H, as shown in Fig. 7, may be substituted, the wire or wires G or Gpassing through the same.

Figs. 5 and 6 also show a rivet or-- pin I, passing through two lugs Iupon the suspending-bracket O. This form of suspe'nsion'will not beexpensive, and will render the trolleywire as flexible at the point ofsupport as at any other point. It will do away with the constant bendingand buckling strain at this.

point, and thus prevent the breakage of the wire.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patentt 1. The combination of a conductor or trolley-wire, aflexible strand or wire, means for connecting it to the trolley-wire ateach end and a suspending device, the flexible strand having a looseconnection with said suspend ing device whereby the strand may movefreely upon the suspending device at the point of connection in responseto the vibrations of the trolley-wire, substantially as described.

2. A. hanger for trolley-wires, consisting of ears soldered or otherwiseattached a short distance apart to the trolley-wire, and having socketsor wire-attaching devices at the inner ends thereof, and a flexible wireattached to said eyes, said wire being slightly longer than the lengthof the trolley-wire between said ears, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a conductor or trolley-wire, ears attached to theconductor a short distance apart, a strand or wire connecting theseears, and a flexible suspending device, the strand having a looseconnection with the suspending device whereby the said flexible strandor wire may move freely upon the suspending device at the point ofconnection in response to the vibrations of the trolley-wire,substantially as described.

4.. A hanger for trolley-wires, consisting of two ears attached to thetrolley wire and placed a' short distance apart, a socket on the innerend of each ear adapted for attachment of a wire, a flexible wire havingits ends fixed to said sockets and having a slight slack, and

' a pulley supporting said Wire and carried by upon itself and enteredin the large end of said socket, substantially as described.

6. A suspension device for trolley-wires, consisting of an insulatingbody having embedded therein a shank carrying a wire-supporting device,said body having a recessed neck, and protecting half-collarssurrounding said neck and adaptedto receive the suspension-wires,substantially as described.

7. A hanger for trolley-wires, comprising a longitudinal flexiblestrand, ears or brackets carried by said strand at its ends and adaptedto be secured to a trolley-wire, and means for suspending the hanger bythe flexible strand, substantially as described.

THEODORE FLETCHER. Witnesses:

V. P. LINZEE,

J. D. ABELES.

